The Astronomy Club
by The Painted Green Door
Summary: Very AU. Each of them were there for the same reason: to serve their time because they had committed some kind of wrong. Every Friday evening these five different college students came together. A modern love story. Rey x ?.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Just a couple of things to address before we begin this adventure.

 **1\. This is my second Star Wars literary work. As such I am very nervous about posting this. I ask of you to please be patient with me as the Star Wars universe is not only gigantic but detailed as well, and I am still learning about it. Thank you! In addition, this is a pilot prologue. If it is received well, I will continue. Thank you for understanding!**

 **2.** If this story is not your cup of tea, please leave it unharmed so some other lad or lass can enjoy it to its fullest extent. **Thank you.**

 **3.** Please also note that my schedule when it comes to updating is very random. If I could, I would update every week, but that just doesn't happen. Sometimes updates are very sparse and other times I update three days in a row. **Please bear with me.**

4\. **I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters whatsoever.** I simply conjure ideas from my mind from time to time and decide to write about them occasionally.

I think that sums it up, so without further ado, please sit back, relax and enjoy _The Astronomy Club._

* * *

 **The Astronomy Club**

* * *

 _The Painted Green Door_

* * *

 **Prologue:**

* * *

Rey slumped in the chair, wishing it would swallow her up and erase her existence from the planet. Because for her, that would have been quite ideal given the current circumstance she found herself in. She swallowed (although it was rather a difficult action to complete since her mouth had ran dry ever since she was escorted into the room) and tried to ignore the nauseous feeling that was swelling up in her stomach. She made herself focus on her hands which were neatly placed in her lap. Her fingers shaking. The young woman then directed her attention to chewing on the inside of her cheek, knowing her bottom lip would start wobbling if she didn't.

It should be known that this was all very unusual – and therefore, completely understandable why Rey was acting this way. After all, the brunette had never caused trouble in her entire life until approximately 38 minutes ago.

She heard the door open abruptly behind her, and felt herself flinch as if she had been dealt a severe blow. Craning her neck to the side, she watched the president of The University, who was beloved by all students who attended the academic institution, sweep gracefully across the room before taking a seat behind the rather lovely and ornate carved wooden desk.

Rey found herself being briefly appraised by the new addition to the room. After a moment, the figure spoke: "Rey, do you know why you're here?"

The owner of the name felt her fingers curl, turning into tight fists. She felt her nails – which were usually kept short and clean – dig into the palm of her hand. Somehow this action brought her comfort.

"You're here because you committed a wrong."

Silence.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

She sensed that her whole body jolted at this question. Her eyes found President Leia Organa's own momentarily before drifting to her mouth – the brunette was sure she saw the left corner of the president's lip quirk upwards into a slight smile. Rey couldn't fault her for she knew her face was probably a comical sight: surprise mixed with confusion and terror.

The twenty-year old found herself gaining a speck of confidence. Collecting the very scattered thoughts her mind currently held, she licked her dry lips and spoke barely above a whisper: "In The University's handbook, it states how we – the campus community – are supposed to foster an environment of inclusion and be welcoming to differing opinions, ideas, and practices. Not necessarily agreeing but at least being respectful and open minded." She paused, crossing her arms as if it would provide her some protection, "Your _son_ was not being respectful."

There it was again. A small raise of the left corner of her mouth. After a moment of silence, which to Rey felt like an eternity, the older woman then leaned forward across the desk as if she was about to convey confidential information: "So you punched him?"

Rey felt her body stiffen in reaction to Organa's rather blunt inquiry, but she mustered up as much courage that she could find. With a curt nod, she responded: "Yes, in the face."

That earned a hum from the figure sitting across from her.

The young brunette found herself shifting in her chair, uncomfortable at the response she gained. She couldn't tell what the president of The University was thinking.

Rey watched as her companion sighed, "I've looked at your record. You have excellent grades, are active on campus, and are thought well of by you professors. This leads me to the conclusion that you are not a trouble maker, Rey."

" _I'm not, I'm really not!_ " Rey thought earnestly. How she wished in this moment she could pour out every thought and emotion that was swirling in her mind. But she couldn't bring herself to do so. The adrenaline that had flowed through her veins almost a mere hour ago had faded, leaving her exhausted. In this moment, with her sitting in the President's office, Rey desired nothing more than to cry. Either that, or for her to wake herself up from this awful dream.

President Organa leaned back in her chair, "This matter will be dealt with swiftly."

Rey felt her heart hammer against her chest – a painful sensation. The air seemed to grow thicker the more she attempted to breathe. She wondered what she looked like at this moment. Probably a deer in headlights about to get hit by oncoming traffic.

"As for your punishment…"

This was it. This was the moment Rey had been dreading. She tried to predict what kind of penalty she would have to pay. Maybe she would be made to take a course about basic ethics and conflict resolution – or maybe she would have to do community service. Or perhaps she would have to pay a fine, or simply give an apology (which she supposed she could halfheartedly give without really meaning it). Rey didn't really care what her punishment was as long as she didn't get disciplinary points – that would be the absolute worst case scenario. Disciplinary points would be forever etched on her academic transcript, and would affect her chances at being accepted into a good graduate program. And Rey couldn't even possibly imagine her dreams being compromised.

"Since you care about the campus community so much, you must attend the upcoming Astronomy club's meeting this Friday," the authority figure declared, before turning her attention to some files that were placed on the desk.

Any thoughts that danced in the twenty year old's mind vanished instantaneously. She hadn't prepared herself for something like this. As she watched President Organa skim the material that was in front of her, a thought presented itself to Rey.

Was this perhaps a trick? Was she being tested? Surely one punch did not equate to having to attend one measly Astronomy club meeting. (Not that Rey was being ungrateful for this lack of punishment.)

"More details will be brought to your attention during the meeting," the gray haired woman informed her, as if it was an afterthought. Her eyes still focused on the papers that were presented in front of her, she then continued, "For the meantime, I would suggest staying out of any more trouble."

"I didn't know we had an Astronomy club," Rey found herself blurting out rather loudly.

She watched as President Organa glanced at her briefly, the corners of her lips curving upwards into what could be considered a soft smile. Placing the fountain pen (which had been previously held in her right hand) down, she then responded to Rey's comment: "Yes, well, it's rather a small group of students." She paused for a mere moment before continuing, "I am sure you have other ways to occupy your time – watching me work is rather boring. You are excused, Rey."

Quite perplexed, Rey left the room.

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 **Author's Note: Goal:** I would love to hear what you think! If you feel so inclined, **please leave a review!**


	2. The First Meeting

**Note:** Thank you so much for all of your kind words and support! I apologize for the delay. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

* * *

 _Rey shifted the weight of the cardboard box, carefully and successfully balancing it on her left knee (with the assistance of the wall). Both of her hands now free, she glanced down at the lanyard that was currently resting around her neck. Pulling out her brand new student ID, Rey then hobbled ever so slightly closer to the keypad that was near the door. She craned her neck as if that would give her the extension she needed to swipe her card and be permitted access to the dormitory._

 _With a yelp that somehow arose and escaped her throat, she suddenly found herself on the pavement. Slightly dazed, she first glanced at the palms of her hands which had attempted to lessen the impact of her fall. Wincing slightly from the stinging pain, she studied briefly the light scrapes that now graced her hands. Rey then turned her attention to the box (which had been previously expertly balanced) that now laid a few feet from her, and the spilt contents._

 _A snicker caught her attention, and as her eyes found the origin of the noise, she felt the apples of cheeks redden. Trying to maintain at least some dignity, she tilted her chin upwards as if that would somehow give her some strength._

 _A strawberry blonde male who, in Rey's opinion, looked rather pale (although it occurred to her that she was rather biased since she originally hailed from the desert) smiled at her – yet it wasn't a smile at all. The corners of his lips curved upwards, his teeth were bared, but it seemed rather cynical._

 _"_ _Watch where you're going," he sneered, glancing at her as if she was an utter nuisance. He then turned his attention to his companion. Until this moment, Rey did not notice him, but now that her eyes had drank in his form, she couldn't believe her eyes missed him in the first place._

 _He was of similar height to his blonde counterpart – perhaps slightly taller – and he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was clothed from head to toe in black. A plain black t-shirt, black jeans, and black shoes which resembled combat boots. Even his hair was dark – so dark that when the sunlight hit it, it looked almost blue. Rey almost thought it was beautiful, but she quickly stopped any of those kinds of thoughts. His dark eyes (where they black too, or were they a deep brown?) seemed to be studying her intently before he let his eyes drift to his friend, "Come on, Hux. We should be on our way."_

 _Rey watched, with a sour taste in her mouth, as Hux pointed his nose upwards as if he smelt some unpleasant odor. Pinched face, he then glanced one more time rather nastily at her before giving his friend a stiff nod. Continuing onward, he took long strides as if he was trying to make up for lost time. With one last lingering look at Rey, Hux's friend followed quickly._

 _For some reason, Rey watched their departing figures for a moment before crawling on her knees and hands to begin picking up the contents that were strewn across the sidewalk. The brunette didn't bring much with her to University, after all, she didn't have much to begin with and her time at the University was only a short four years. It would breeze by in an instant, just like eighteen years without parents had. She pushed those unpleasant thoughts away, and glanced at the picture frame that was just lying out of her grasp. The blurry photo depicted a broadly smiling – no, grinning – younger Rey._

 _"_ _Those guys were jerks," a voice announced before two feet appeared in her line of vision. She watched wordlessly as a hand gracefully swept up the photo, her eyes following the movement until she was staring up at yet another guy. His eyes were studying the contents of the photo, and Rey instantly felt like her privacy was being invaded. Just as she was about to speak, he shifted his eyes to her face, smiling, "Cute kid."_

 _The young woman managed to mumble a "thanks" which came out more gruffly than she intended it to. Grabbing the photo back, she quickly placed it in the cardboard box before picking up the other spilt items: a calendar, a pack of highlighters and writing instruments, and poster she had found in thrift shop back at home which depicted her home: Jakku. She supposed that to others it was a rather depressing illustration: remote and barren. But for her, it gave her a sense of comfort, especially when she was currently in a new and foreign place._

 _A throat was being cleared before the persistent being completely entered her field of vision. He was crouching down to her level, the kind of position you might assume if you were talking to a small child. Teeth gleaming as they became a part of brilliant smile, the owner of them then offered a hand. "Poe Dameron, Sophomore, excellent campus tour guide, aerospace engineering major, Yavin native, and Resident Assistant. Pleased to make your acquaintance…" he glanced at her lanyard which was caught between his thumb and forefinger. He must have picked it up when it had fallen, "Rey."_

 _Allowing another "thanks" to leave her lips (this time her voice cracked), she took back her student ID. She blinked a couple of times and wondered if she really had hit her head against the pavement when she had fallen. Standing on her own two feet, she then took a moment to inspect her new acquaintance, Poe. It was easy to tell that he must be one of the golden boys around here - his glimmering teeth, sun kissed tan skin, wavy hair, and easy, boyish charm made it obvious._

 _"_ _Are you in Kenobi Hall?" he asked, the easy going smile never leaving his lips. He glanced towards the building's entrance where silver blocky letters were framed above the door to spell 'Kenobi'._

 _She nodded a little too vigorously, "Yes. Room 213."_

 _An emotion crossed Poe's facial features so quickly that Rey was sure she had imagined it. Was it disappointment? Surely not. She had only been in his presence for less than five minutes, and she already was convinced nothing could dampen his sunny disposition._

 _He stuffed his hands in his pockets as if he didn't know what else to do. He changed his mind and allowed his left hand to run through his hair. The slight silver ends of his locks caught the sun's rays in a magnificent way. "I'm one of the RAs for Windu Hal," he paused for a moment to nod to another dormitory that was further down the sidewalk, "And I should probably get going. Rose, my co-resident assistant would probably get upset if I ditched her." His eyes brightened – a brilliant shade of brown, "But, it was nice to meet you, Rey. If those guys ever cause you any trouble, come see me." A pause. Then: "I'll see you around."_

 _And with that, he pivoted on his heel and steadily jogged to a female figure in front of Windu Hall (who looked as though she was scowling). Was that Rose?_

* * *

For some reason, her knees were shaking. At least her right leg was – bouncing furiously as she tapped her right foot against the green and beige carpeted floor.

The senior stared at the clock for the thousandth time as if that would somehow take all her fears away. It didn't. Instead, it only made the ill feeling in her stomach worsen. It was 3:59. Another minute and it would be time – and everyone who were supposed members in this club would be officially late.

Well, that wasn't necessarily true. She eyed the other figure in the room. She had vaguely remembered seeing him during orientation back when she was a mere freshman, and was almost certain that he had been in a couple of her classes.

The door opened with a bang – the wood smacking against the wall with such force, Rey was certain that it would probably leave an indent. She winced at the thought of possible damage. She didn't need to be blamed for yet another misdemeanor. Out of her peripheral vision she watched as the male sitting across from her also flinched slightly by the sudden commotion.

Rey briefly closed her eyes, swallowing hard. This was the moment. She was officially here to pay her dues and serve her time for her crime. And maybe if she served out her punishment brilliantly, she would receive no points on her transcript. Just maybe she could still somehow get into graduate school.

"Why the long faces?"

Her eyes flew open to see Poe Dameron now in the room, standing in the doorway looking rather amused. She gaped. Why was he here? He should have graduated last year. Her brow furrowed, probably causing wrinkles but she didn't care. He looked exactly as Rey remembered when she had first met him, except that his hair was a little bit longer (with a little bit more silver) and he was carrying a stack of brightly colored file folders. He smiled at them with his still ever gleaming pearly white teeth, and then walked to the large round table where both Rey and her silent companion were seated.

Dumping the pile of file folders he then dusted his hands off (though he really had no reason to), and then put his hands on his hips, "So I heard you two caused quite a bit of trouble."

Rey was utterly mortified.

The door opening yet again distracted all the current occupants in the room, and allowed Rey the opportunity to compose herself. Except:

He stood there in the doorway as if he was some glorious, heroic figure. If Rey shifted her position in her chair, she could see a tuff of strawberry blonde hair behind him. She grimaced, clenching her fingers and forming them into tight fists – the knuckles white.

His eyes were trained on her, and she refused to squirm under his gaze. Instead she forced herself to stare right back. Somehow she had the confidence to. Perhaps it was because he was sporting a rather impressive bruise on his right cheekbone.

"You're late," Poe commented, sounding slightly annoyed. Rey shifted her gaze to see that Poe was twirling a whiteboard marker in right hand, while his left hand was placed on his hip. He looked utterly cool. Of course he would – he was the kind of guy who would look effortlessly cool in anything he did.

"My apologies, your highness," Kylo said – no, sneered. He then trudged over towards the table (with Hux following) and pulled a chair to sit down next to her. She instantly felt her spine stiffen as his cologne hit her nose. Surely this was her punishment. She couldn't imagine anything worse.

The young brunette woman was surprised to see Poe look somewhat uncomfortable. His brown eyes shifted between herself and the occupant beside her, "Just don't let it happen again." He then turned back to his cheerful self and plastered a smile on his face, "Right, well, I'm Poe Dameron. Super-senior I suppose you could classify me as, but really I'm just in the five year engineering program here."

That explained why he was still on campus as a student.

He carried on, "And I'm the president of the Astronomy Club! I'm excited to see all of your faces – a great group of new members.

"We're not members. We're here because we were told to be here," Rey's neighbor scoffed. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Hux nod eagerly (with a small "Yes."), agreeing with Kylo's biting words.

Silence filled the room as Poe now focused his attention to expertly twirling the marker between his fingers. It was almost mesmerizing.

"Finn Corps. Senior. Here because you cheated on your exam," Poe said quietly, looking at the one male in the room who hadn't said one word. For Rey, everything clicked into place. She was sure he was in one of her History courses. What was it? History of Justice with Professor Amilyn Holdo – yes, that was it. Rey wondered if that was the class he cheated in. The thought made her cringe.

"Armitage Hux. Senior. Here because when a disruption broke out, you only became an encouraging bystander."

To Rey, that sounded about right. She racked her brain on the memory. Yes, Hux certainly didn't do anything to diffuse the situation.

The fifth year's eyes were trained on his next victim, "You prefer to be called by Kylo Ren. Senior. Here because-"

"Harassment? Intimidation? Bullying?" Rey could scarcely recognize her own voice, and usually she would have never said such things – but she couldn't help it. He deserved it. He deserved being here, and maybe a worse punishment too.

"Like you know anything," a deep voice – his deep voice hissed. Rey dared to meet his eyes, only to discover that they were sitting closer than she had originally imagined. "You don't know anything, so don't assume that you do." He snapped.

A throat was being cleared, and Rey noticed that Poe was attempting to get the situation under control, "And that brings me finally to Rey."

Oh no. Rey was hoping he wouldn't do this. She braced herself.

He smiled softly at her, and it startled its intended target. She didn't expect this kindness that he was showing her – after all, she committed a wrong just like everyone else had. A rather violent wrong at that. But then again, this was Poe Dameron – the one soul who showed her kindness on her first day on campus.

"Senior. Here because you punched him," Poe pointed directly at Kylo, "in the face." His eyes were twinkling, was he laughing? Did Poe even have the right to be silently laughing? He should be disappointed. Rey was certainly disappointed in herself. She was about to frown, but then he disarmed her again by winking. It was quick, so quick that she could have convinced herself that she imagined it – but it was sure. The way his lips curved slightly upwards suggested that she wasn't dreaming.

He had winked at her.

"All your misdemeanors are in these file folders," the president of the Astronomy Club announced as he gestured to the stack of folders place in front of him. "As part of your punishment you will become members of the Astronomy Club, at least for the rest of the spring semester. Think of it as becoming part of the campus community – not to mention that it's a great resume builder." A pause. Maybe he was expecting a weak laugh from them. "In addition to attending all meetings and any events the club may sponsor, you will also be required to support your fellow peers by attending at least one of the activities they're involved in."

"There's no way I'm attending Miss Resistance Order's liberal tree-hugging, "let's all be friends" club," Hux argued, his nose pinched as if he had just smelled something awful. Rey glanced at him, ready to argue and defend her "liberal tree-hugging "let's all be friends" club" but Poe responded first.

"You will, Armitage," Poe said confidently, "this is the price you are expected to pay."

"And if we don't?" Hux argued, trying to show that he at least had some guts and wasn't scared of this authority figure. It was a weak attempt.

The super senior sighed, as if he was suddenly weighed down by all of this. He crossed his arms before looking squarely at the current trouble-maker, "Just do what you're assigned to do. Fulfill your sentence. If you successfully do this, no disciplinary points will be added to your transcripts, and President Organa won't write home to your parents."

"My parents won't care either way," Hux muttered, although he looked rather frightened and his face looked paler than usual. Rey wondered if he was lying – wasn't Hux's dad some senator?

"Any more arguments, protests or opposition?" Poe asked, sounding somewhat exasperated. He glanced at the four other figures in the room, and was met with silence. He smiled widely, "Good. Let the fun begin!"

Rey then watched as Finn silently raised his hand, and when called upon by Poe, asked: "If you're the president of the Astronomy Club, and we're all here because of our misdemeanors, where are all the other non-delinquent members?"

Now that Rey thought about it, Finn actually did have a point. Surely the club would have to be bigger than this. Maybe Poe decided to meet only with them before integrating them into the club with the other members. That would make the most sense.

She watched as Poe's facial expression changed from happiness to an awkward kind of pain. He winced, "Good question, Finn. Rose, the vice president of the club, is usually here but this semester one of her mechanical engineering labs conflicts with the meeting time."

"That's it? That's the only other member?" Finn inquired, his eyes showing concern and confusion. When he was met with silence, he carried on, "You have two members. That's not even a club. You need at least six members to be considered a-" Finn then stopped as he drank in the other occupants of the room, realization dawning on him. "You need us. You need the four of us to become a legitimate club."

Rey watched as Poe shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking now perfectly uncomfortable. It would have been an almost amusing sight, but instead Rey felt horrible. Any ounce of confidence he usually possessed was gone. Poe rubbed the back of his neck, "We do have our club advisor, Professor Luke Skywalker."

Hux actually laughed out loud. It wasn't a pleasant kind of laugh, more like a bark, "I heard he got dismissed because he threw a desk at one of his students. Couldn't be fired since he was the brother of President Organa. Isn't he now a hermit and is living off the grid?" He then glanced at his dear companion, with a wildly unpleasant grin, "Wait, Kylo – isn't he your uncle?"

His companion responded with a deathly quiet, "Shut up."

Silence fell among the members of the room, like a thick blanket.

Yes, Rey was sure that this was certainly hell.

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 **Author's Note: Thoughts? Review?**


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